Because of what Moscow refers to as “extremist conduct,” Meta Inc’s Facebook and Instagram social networking sites have already been blocked in the country.
On Monday, a Russian court declared most Meta (Facebook) Platforms Inc to be an ‘extremist organization,’ but spared its WhatsApp messaging from this classification and stated it may continue to operate.
Because of what Moscow refers to as “extremist conduct,” Meta Inc’s Facebook and Instagram social networking sites have already been blocked in the country.
“The judgment does not apply to Meta’s messenger WhatsApp’s actions,” the court stated, “because of its lack of capabilities for public publication of information.”
The remarks came as the Tverskoi District Court in Moscow upheld a case filed by Russian state prosecutors to prohibit Meta from operating on Russian soil, according to a statement from the court’s press department.
Meta’s stance
According to the Interfax news agency, Meta’s business counsel, Victoria Shagina, stated in court on Monday that Meta was not involved in extremist activities and opposed Russophobia.
According to TASS, judge Olga Solopova stated that the ruling will be implemented immediately.
Meta’s Facebook was recently blocked in Russia for restricting access to Russian media, while Instagram was also blocked after Meta said it would allow Ukrainian social media users to post messages urging violence against Russian President Vladimir Putin and the troops Moscow sent into Ukraine on February 24.
Since Russia started a military campaign on Ukraine, demands for the killing of a head of state have risen on social platforms, and according to Moscow, Meta has done nothing to prevent such calls, and its instructions should never be understood as advocating violence against Russians in general.
According to researcher Insider Intelligence, Facebook had 7.5 million members last year while WhatsApp had 67 million.
On February 24, Russia began an invasion of Ukraine’s territory with a military operation. The strike is being described as retaliation by the nation in response to pleas for protection from Ukrainian soldiers in the separatist areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics.
(Information Credit: Reuters)
